Nose pads and temple end pieces of eyeglass frames desirably to present a soft and anti-slip contact to the nose or ears. For example, nose pads whose surface layer is formed from solid or spongy silicone rubber are often used since they offer a soft contact, pleasant feel, and anti-slip hold to the nose. In one type of pad, a core connected to an eyeglass frame front is directly coated with solid or spongy silicone rubber. Another type of pad uses a core coated with a thermoplastic resin such as clear nylon which is in turn coated with solid or spongy silicone rubber. In either case, that surface of a pad which is in contact with the nose is constructed from solid or spongy silicone rubber.
Such nose pads undesirably tend to yellow or whiten, which detracts from their aesthetic appearance, after long times of service. This discoloration occurs because the siloxane linkages forming the skeleton of the silicone rubber allow sweat and oily substances to penetrate into the solid or spongy silicone rubber from the surface. Temple end pieces generally suffer from the same type of problem.